Is Vietnam’s property sector getting too hot for its government’s comfort?
Is Vietnam’s property sector getting too hot for its government’s comfort?
Vietnam set to subdue real estate lending in 2017
Fearful of an overheating property sector, the State Bank of Vietnam last week issued a circular detailing more restrictive guidelines on real estate lending.
Starting 1 January 2017, the central bank will rein in commercial institutions that use more than 50 percent of short-term funds for mortgages and other medium- to long-term lendings. The risk weight of credit exposure to real estate businesses will also be raised from 150 to 200 percent.
With outstanding loans to the property sector hovering at VND393 trillion (USD17.42 billion) last year, the state bank hopes new rules would deter another speculative property bubble.
More: In case you haven’t heard, this is ASEAN’s hottest property market
Property investment in Vietnam has been gaining traction at relatively runaway rates. According to the Construction Ministry, the outstanding balance of real estate loans has grown at a rate of 10-15 percent over the last few years.
Meanwhile, the Vietnamese cement market had a using rate of 64 percent in 2015.
Earlier talks of credit tightening had been more restrictive. As early as March 2016, the state bank defended plans to raise the risk weight for real estate loans to 250 percent.
The draft revisions would have also prevented banks from using more than 40 percent of short-term deposits for mortgage lendings. Currently, banks can use 60 percent.
More: HCMC to host high-level real estate conference
Reduced capital adequacy ratio from those plans would have greatly undermined a dependable source of funding to domestic borrowers. The Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association (HoREA) promptly protested the original restrictions and penned a letter urging the state bank to allow at least half of short-term funds for credit, per Thanh Nienh News.
The state bank’s apprehensions may not be entirely unfounded. Vietnam plunged into a property bubble from 2006 to 2010, with outstanding loans for property standing at VND200 trillion in 2009.
The new round of restrictions could drive domestic investors toward the country’s nascent securities market. Last year, the Vietnamese government lifted a 49 percent hard cap on foreign ownership of publicly listed companies.
Source: Property Report